Me, My Hair, and I

“Untangles the many truths about hair, and the lives we lead underneath it.” —Pamela Druckerman, author ofBringing Up Bebe

These twenty-seven “hair pieces” offer up reflections and revelations about family, race, religion, ritual, culture, motherhood, politics, celebrity, what goes on in African American kitchens and at Hindu Bengali weddings, alongside stories about the influence of Jackie Kennedy, Lena Horne, Farrah Fawcett, and the Grateful Dead. Layered into these essays you’ll find surprises, insights, hilarity, and the resonance of common experience.

Marita Golden writes about her grief over what so many African American women still endure to obtain “good hair.” Patricia Volk itemizes her seventeen hair care products, each with a price tag. Myra Goldberg tells of how ill equipped she was to tend the hair of her adopted biracial daughter. And Suleika Jaouad describes the ravages of chemotherapy and the empowerment of shaving designs onto her head.

These writers know that a woman’s hair is her glory, her nemesis, her history, and her self-esteem. They know, too, that many things in life matter more than hair, but few bring as much pleasure as a really great hairdo.

“With tender sensitivity and wild wit, these wonderful writers examine the allure, magic, curse, thrills, and sorrows of hair.” —Luanne Rice, author ofThe Lemon Orchard

“Me, My Hair, and I . . . is a terrific read for those of us who obsess about our hair. Or those who live with those of us who do. A collection that is, I dare say, a cut above the rest.” —Mary Morris, author ofThe Jazz Palace